Mary and Martha - Part 1: Worry and Distractions vs. Choosing the Better Thing

Perhaps by now you know I like to revisit bible accounts and see how they apply to our lives today. What is God teaching us that if we choose to apply the lessons would vastly improve our lives, placing us on another trajectory of success? Yes, that's a mouthful so let's visit Martha and Mary's house during Jesus' visit with them.

The Scripture tells us in Luke 10: 

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary,who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”     

What we are seeing here is that Martha invited Jesus to her home and immediately began doing what she thought was required of her. Yet, she did not take the time to inquire what He wanted. Martha had taken charge, this was her home after all. Therefore, she assumed her role was to prepare a meal for Him. That's what she did for her guests, so that is what she focused on. She did not stop to find out what would best serve Him. Yes, people have to eat but it's not every day the Son of God comes to your house -- IN PERSON!

Another thing we see is that the first thing that Mary did was sit at Jesus' feet to listen to what he said. Wow! I'm already impressed with this woman. In all fairness, Martha did what 90% of women would have done. After all, I have invited this very important Person to my house and I must serve him well. But Mary, from most accounts was being lazy and just chilling with the Guest. But this account has already assessed Martha's agenda as a distraction, saying she was "distracted by all the preparations." Mary chose to sit, listen, and observe. Who was the wiser one? Who better assessed the opportunity at hand? Well, let's keep going, because Jesus lays it out without mincing words.

She [Martha] came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Martha was not happy just going about her preparations, really distractions, on her own; she wanted help. Does that sound familiar? She figured, "why should Mary be hanging out with the Guest while I'm working my fingers to the bone to serve our Guest AND Mary?"  No, she was not having it. She marched right out of the kitchen into the area where Jesus and Mary were sitting and proceeded to tell the Lord the situation,(as if he hadn't noticed) and what He should do. She wasn't too presumptuous, right? That makes me realize the degree to which Jesus had allowed people to get close to Him? He clearly did not lord it over people even though He WAS and IS Lord. 

So, yes, Martha was focusing on something; but was it the right thing? We find that according to Jesus, the answer is "no."

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” 

Two short sentences, 4 crucial lessons to Marthas:

1. Jesus chastised her for being worried and upset. He does to like that especially when He is IN THE HOUSE. 

2. At any given time, we don't have to be running around trying to accomplish everything. Jesus said few, no only ONE thing was needed at that time and it was being with Him in His presence not the running around we often kid ourselves or accept pressure from others, that this and that is necessary. Jesus said, just the one thing is necessary and Mary had chosen to do it.

3. Mary, the lazy and perhaps seen as the clueless one not correctly assessing the situation, had chosen the right thing to do. The childlike thing to the world but the wise thing to Jesus. How worldly we can be when we think that the activity is the thing that gets notice from heaven. No, the one who humbly, listening and attending to whatever the Master was saying, had chosen to do the right thing.

4. Those who are flowing according to God's desires will not be cut of from doing the best thing. He simply will not be pressured by the distracted to deny the ones doing the right thing. Many are doing good things and engaging in good work but it is not the best because Christ has not approved it. They have presumed that God wants all this activity and endless projects, but in the end these things make them look good. Heaven is not impressed by man-focused activity even when claims are made that they will glorify God. God is not mocked by these claims. We need to assess our motives for the activities we do.

WHY WAS MARTHA SO FOCUSED ON THE PREPARATIONS WHEN JESUS WAS  IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY AND SO VERY ACCESSIBLE?

My thoughts from her actions and words are, Martha was:

1.  worldly

2.  a perfectionist

3.  focused on man's opinion

4.  concerned about her reputation

5.  presuming she knew what Jesus wanted

Here is why Martha was wrong and why we can learn so well from her mistake. It's found in Philippians 4:6, Paul's later writing so that we do do not make the same mistake. Thank God it's not a writing she would have had access to - yet Truth was in her home.Truth had already said in John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God believe also in Me." Here is the Holy Spirit's mandate through Paul in Philippians 4:6-7.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The first thing Martha did wrong was being anxious and worried, although we understand the honored Guest she had in her home; but this was not just any Guest. Once He left, there was no guarantee He would be back -- at least not in that way. 

The second thing she did wrong was in failing to ask Him what He wanted. She presumed that the transaction had to be one way, her serving and giving to Him, while all the time it was she who needed to receive from Him.

The third thing was, at least we do not see it, she did not take the time to appreciate and enjoy the fact that the Lord was in her house! THE LORD WAS IN HER HOUSE!! She could have chosen to receive a wealth by sitting at His feet and really asking for anything. The God of Phil 4:6 was in her house and she was missing out big time! (Again she would not have needed Paul's writings to know the right thing to do. Her sister Mary already knew and did it.)

Consequently, she was worried and distracted instead of at peace in God's presence. Martha was missing out on the very therapy she needed for her worried soul. Had she been in a teachable more humble state of being, she would have been better off and Jesus would not have had to rebuke and refuse her as He did. 

Recap of Philippians 4:6 Mandate:

1. Don't worry about anything;

2. in every situation pray and petition the Lord;

3. be thankful (for every 1 thing we need, we have about 100 we can be thankful for);

4. Let God know in detail what you need (even though He already knows); as this shows our humility in not being able to provide for ourselves

Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

In other words, Martha, "no. I will not tell Mary to come and help you. You sit down and do the better thing that Mary has already chosen to do from the beginning by sitting with me."[Paraphrasing of course but in the spirit of what Jesus was saying.]

May we all choose the better thing, sitting in His presence getting His heart on matters, seeking what He wants us to say and do instead of presuming or listening to someone else who is also distracted worrier. Doing puts us in control when we have not been given a mandate from Him.This takes us further out of touch with God and keeps us in an unhealthy cycle of doing rather than being. 

There is more and in Part II, we will talk about those who are today's Martha. Hint: They impress you with their "success."

TO BE CONTINUED ...

Spiritual Warfare Series: There's No Spiritual Warfare Where we are Seated in the Heavenly Places

This is a short video and blog post to introduce this installment of "Spiritual Warfare" series. Please watch the video and feel free to comment. Please note that the apostle Paul chooses to open our eyes to the glory, power, and majesty of God in relation to everything else. He clearly indicates that God sits above everything, including the fray of spiritual warfare. That He is unmatched in His power. Paul reminds us that were chosen even while we were still dead in our sins, and really enemies of God. So let's thank God for snatching us out of darkness. And now that we are in Christ, we are seated right there with Jesus next to almighty God - above the spiritual warfare that goes on in the second heaven.

Now that is great news!

Watch the video and be reminded and empowered to meet the challenges you face

with this heavenly perspective.

QUOTED SCRIPTURE

Ephesians 1:15-23 (esp. vv. 20-21)

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

¹⁵ Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding^[c] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 2:4-10 (esp. vs. 6)

 ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Prayer

Lord, please help us to get and maintain a heavenly perspective on spiritual warfare that it is not a time to be fearful but a time to rejoice that we sit in the position with Christ Jesus next to you in heavenly place, far above the fray of spiritual warfare. Thank you, Lord, that while we do have to "walk out' our victory, the end game is that we win hands down. Thank you, Lord for saving us, for sending Jesus to redeem us, and for your Holy Spirit Who enables us to live this life before you that Christ modeled for us. Praise Him Who made it possible and Him to sent us our Savior! Thank you, Lord! In Jesus name we pray! Amen and Amen!

Seeking Input from Blog Readers

Hello Friends,

I am seeking your help and input as readers of my blog posts, books, Facebook or Twitter posts.  I pray that they have been fresh insight from the Lord that has taught, informed, helped, healed, lead to Christ, delivered from fear of the unknown, demystified the walk with Christ, as well as the prophetic and walking in the Spirit, and much more. Our God is unlimited in how He chooses to bless people. Thankfully, we do not have to have a perfect walk or even a walk that has already reached the destination. Remember how the father of the prodigal son ran to him while the son was still quite a long way off. That is exactly how our Lord does it. He runs to the one coming to Him while still quite a long way off from the destination. 

Friends, it's coming to me. Isn't that exactly what God did in the form of HIs Son Jesus Christ by sending Him to earth 2000 plus years ago. God did not need us. He chose us. He chose to send His only Son while we were still lost in sin, far apart, and aliens to Him. He sent Jesus to reconcile His family. That is the heart of the Father; reconciliation at all cost, even the cost of His only begotten Son. I don't know about you, but that just about brings tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. I am overcome and undone by His goodness. Aren't you?

So I do not even want to pretend to know how He has used me in your life, but I humbly ask you to share in a comment or email to me. If you can do so in a comment, I believe it would help others as well. I am not seeking glory, I am just flesh and blood. Yet, He chooses to partner with us to do His will. Actually, partner is a pretty strong role. We are His vessels of honor when we choose to answer His call. Praise Him!

Also, I would really like to hear of any as yet uncovered subject matter in this blog or my books. What would you all would like to see me cover as the Lord provides insight? There are about to be some pretty significant changes in platform and methods of offering my content to make this more accessible to more people. So I really want to hear from you all. Even if it's just a sentence, the more the better of what God has done in your lives. And really, even if it's a testimony of God's greatness apart from my participation, please feel free to share. I am sure someone, if not many, will be encouraged and perhaps even substantively helped and transformed themselves. Your story is powerful! Use it to bring Him glory.

There is more on the horizon, folks! Stay tuned but please write a testimonial in the comments section with at least your first name. Recognizing that this blog is globally accessed, if you must remain anonymous please label your comment/testimonial as such. 

All the best for a fantastic rest of the year and life in our soon coming King Jesus, the Christ!!

Witnesses - Why Did Jesus Need Them Then and Still Do Now

WHY DID JESUS PERFORM SO THAT THERE WOULD BE WITNESSES

Mark 9 presents a very interesting series of events that would unnerve the average individual. Of all the things Jesus did in performing signs, wonders, and miracles, what happened on the "Mount of Transfiguration" as it is sometimes called, just takes my breath away. I can imagine on the way up the mountain the disciples were engaged in regular banter and perhaps were completely unaware of what they were about to witness. And to be honest, I do wonder why Jesus allowed them to witness His transfiguration, even knowing that their, well at least Peter's, would be inappropriate. 

Why did He want witnesses?

Here, friends, I believe the answer is quite simply so that they could be eyewitnesses to all that He did for the sharing of the Gospel about the Son of God becoming the Son of Man and doing the impossible ... to reconcile God's family!

They had to witness the miracles so that they could speak from first hand observation. 

In addition, their faith was increased to do what Jesus did once He left. They got to see, and experience the impossible, the supernatural. Yes, the disciples would have had all the stories from Moses telling of the history of the children of Israel. But with Jesus, they got to live it and walk in it themselves.

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount

² Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. ⁴ And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵ Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— ⁶ because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.

⁷ And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” ⁸ Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

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The disciples not knowing how to react to what they just saw and the appropriate thing to say, said the wrong thing so that God Himself had to address it. Notice Jesus did not tell them they were wrong and wanting to build tabernacles to Elijah, Moses, AND Jesus. God said, those other two are not ME, but Jesus is the only true REPRESENTATION OF ME AND MY ONLY SON. Hear Him over any others. 

Notice that the Father usually says everything through the Son, and rarely speaks Himself. When He does speak, we need to take special note of when that is and what He is saying.

Friend, hear Jesus and no one else when they speak that which is out of line with the Bible and what He has said.

MODERN DAY WITNESSES

This call has not changed. We are called to be modern-day witnesses of the life to Jesus Christ. We are called to replicate what Jesus did. It is all about telling it AND demonstrating it that is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Such was Paul's encouragement in 1 Corinthians 2:

^"4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human^[b] wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we not only retell the life and works of Jesus, we are called and empowered to do them. That is the true Gospel!

Let's pray:

Father, help us to not only speak of you but to demonstrate your Kingdom work in and through us, Lord. Help us not to succumb to a spirit of fear or the fear of man but to yield only to Your Spirit that the work of Jesus Christ might continue through our "hands," oh God! Lord, we need you as these times grow more dim and you entrust more of your light and your glory to you sons of daughter who are led by Your Spirit. The glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea and we will see it! We praise you, because we do not respond in fear but in faith that the Son of God will soon make His appearance. May we be ready and may you find faith in us, Lord! In Jesus name, we pray and move and have our being. Amen.

Which are More Important, the Gifts or Fruit of the Spirit?

Recently, my path has crossed that of an individual who has caused me to think a lot., particularly on character. In fact, the Lord has used this person mightily in the short time we have known each other, to change my life forever. And I have been thinking and the Holy Spirit has been teaching me ... What if my focus has not be the right one up until now? What if the focus on the one would bring about greater impact and results on the other?

This is all started, where many of my posts and teachings start, at the kitchen sink. You'd be surprised what comes up during the washing of the dinner dishes and pots and pans. God will use anything and any quiet space to speak and teach us crucial life lessons.

We know that operating in both the gifts and fruit of the Spirit are important, but which is most important. I submit that it is more important and impacting to flow in the fruit of the Spirit that the gifts might bear more fruit in our lives and for the Kingdom. Why is that? Because the fruit are what we need every day and minute of our lives, while the gifts are used on occasion according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

Let's dig in. Shall we?

The Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-26

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other

.......................................

Please note, these are the "fruit", singular, of the Spirit, not "fruits". One fruit with 9 different components. That means, if the have the fruit, then you have all 9 and it's not about "working on it," as I have mistakenly thought. It is automatic when I am being led and living out of my spirit as opposed to the fleshy part of my soul.


As I thought about my friend, I realized that through him, I tend to experience all of the fruit of the Spirit which seem to flow right out of him, seemingly without effort. And tonight, a question was posed to me, or I posed a question to myself; am not sure which it is. I believe it's both.

"Which is more important, the gifts of the Spirit or the fruit?"

As I paused and waited for the answer, the simplicity just about knocked me over. It has to be the fruit! Why do I say that? I say so because of the comparison of the uses. Compared to how many opportunities we have to exercise the fruit of the Spirit, the opportunities to exercise the gifts of the Spirit are "rare." I submit that the person whose life is the other way around is the exception to the rule. Why? Because we must use the fruit in every day life. Think about it!

Oh, let me back up and list the 9 fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23:
... Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against these, there is no law.

Now do you see? As believers, we are obligated to operate in love at all times, to rejoice, be at peace, be patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and always exercise self-control. That is everyday life because there are so many opportunities to  operate in the opposite spirit against the Word of God.

The fruit of the Spirit is to be exercised by believers towards everyone.

Not so much with the ministry gifts of the Spirit.

The Gifts of the Spirit

The ministry gifts that are given for the building of the Body of Christ are only in operation when we minister. Of course, I am not saying that a person cannot be used mightily everyday in the ministration of the gifts, whether by praying for someone, offering words of knowledge and wisdom, and so on. 

The Scripture tells us in:

1 Corinthians 12:7-10

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

.....................................

I don't know about you, although, I am a minister of the Gospel, I am a person living life all the time but I am not ministering in the gifts all the time. The ministering gifts are only used in our horizontal relationships one to another. When we relate to God, we do so through the same Holy Spirit but we do so in prayer, worship, even reasoning and wrestling at times. But the gifts are given for the edification of the Body for our development and maturity, often called perfection. 

So back to my friend, while he is clearly gifted, it is the fruit that flows out of his life that draws me to him: He is loving, joyful (even when having what he would call a challenging day. He still has the joy of the Lord in his voice, peace, patience (this is really crucial), kindness (in super abundance), goodness (almost angelic), faithfulness (in spades with extreme loyalty, gentleness (same as with the kindness, very concerned with the hearts of others). He is never harsh. This fruit is so evident it is invisible. It appears simply be a part of his personality but upon reflection and the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I now know, it is not natural but supernatural. The Spirit of God is operating marvelously through his life.

Of course, no one is perfect, yet when I consider the whole person, I realize I have never met another human being like Mark. 

Now I know that while the gifts and the fruit are very important in the building up of the saints, the fruit of the Spirit is perhaps slightly more important than the gifts because they need to be in operation at all times to all people, while the gifts operate toward believers or those seeking Christ.

It is so important to note that Paul chooses to not only tell us why the gifts are important in 1 Corinthians 12, but he then goes on to tell us that the gifts are of no use without the first fruit of the Spirit, which is LOVE.

Inner Workings from Heaven

The Stirring

It does not happen often that I start off my morning my watching a prophetic declaration from someone I am unfamiliar with. But several mornings ago, I noticed a video by a Nate Johnston. I'd never heard of him. And, oh my goodness! This brother was authentic and clearly under the unction of the Holy Spirit. So much so that as I laid back down afterwards, the gifts had clearly been stirred up in me and I saw an unusual vision, that I am now convinced was a heavenly one. It's so important to align with those who stir up, rather than try to stifle, the gifts God has placed in you for His purposes to be accomplished in and through your life.

The Vision:

I saw the arms of someone pushing a wheelbarrow of large "inner workings" of a pieces of machinery. They looked something like the one below but in one unit and shinier silver:

The 'person' had several of these "inner workings" in the wheelbarrow, which was itself pristine looking. Nothing looked old in this vision; everything in this place was pristine and new. It's an outdoor scene and I could see that these "inner-workings" were being returned to a holding pen. But the holding pen had no gate or locks. It simply had a doorway opening without an actual door or gate. In the holding area there were other inner-workings that had also been returned. The holding pen was not crowded by any means but there were several already in there so that it was not altogether empty.

The Interpretation
        2 Corinthians 5:17

These inner-workings, the Lord said, are the inner-working of the saints. These were the new things we received when we accepted Christ. At least, it is what we have access to whether we decide to use them is up to us. In other words, these were "heavenly inner-workings." 

The Spirit of the Lord "said" that these were inner-workings of the saints that had been returned (to sender) in effect. The Scripture that immediately came to mind, and still resonates is, 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new."

That is why these inner-workings were all pristine and new looking. They were new and that were heavenly.

So for the sake of clarity, let's take the whole context of the Scripture by going back a verse examining verses 16-21, which say: 

     No Longer a Worldly View

^"16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer."

- The person who is now born of God, that is born of heaven through Jesus Christ, no longer regards life with a worldly point of view. They have become new with new insight guided by the Lord.

     Now a New Creation in Christ

^1"7 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! "

- The key is to be found "in Christ." It's the only way to become this new creation. To be "in Christ" we have to follow closely after Him, letting His Word and actions guide ours. This is all facilitated by the Holy Spirit. Once a person has decided to be in Christ, that is purpose in their hearts to be "all in," their old nature is no more and the new nature has replaced it. 

However, what the vision demonstrates, a person may return that new nature to it's Sender an Maker. And I am sure that the implication here is that the person continues to believe and to portray to others that they are saved. Yet, their on the inside they are not. They are attempting to dupe God just as they dupe others. But God knows who belongs to Him and who does not. That is why the Scripture says that one day the Lord will actually say to those folks, "Depart from me, I never new you."

     The Ministry of Reconciliation

^"18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: "

Without the inner workings from the Lord, we cannot reconcile others to Jesus because we ourselves are not truly reconciled. Once we are reconciled to God then, and only then, can we ourselves be reconcilers of others to God.

     The Message of Reconciliation

^"19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

- So once we are reconciled to Christ we are reconciled to God, the Father. And the reason we become new is that the sin of our past is taken away leaving us pristine and clean to be presented to God, then Father. There is no longer any sin separating us from God. Christ has taken it away. No, we not only have a ministry of reconciliation but the message of reconciliation through the preaching of the Gospel/giving our testimonies.

     Ambassadors for Christ the King and His Kingdom

^"20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God."

- An ambassador is "an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country." He/she represents the interests of the country that sent them. So, too, do we represent the Kingdom of God and it's King, the Lord Jesus Christ. The ambassador is not self-interested so he does not speak for himself or act in his own interests. He asks for the One Who sent Him. In a way, Jesus was the ultimate Ambassador of the Kingdom of God because He did not do anything in self-interest or on His own authority but God's. He came as the ultimate Reconciler to reconcile mankind back to God.

     Becoming the Righteousness of God

"²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

- Jesus became the very embodiment of sin, our sin. I cannot even imagine what that must have looked like to the All-seeing One. It must have been hideous! God sent Jesus for this very reason, to die as the embodiment of sin. It was the only way to make us righteous in His eyes. That is why there is no righteousness apart from the Cross. Jesus did that and not we, the saints and children of God, those in Christ, have become the very righteousness of God. That is astounding!


The Scripture Applied to the Vision

Taking this Scripture apart, I find the meaning and the message of the vision. You see, the inner-workings come with a Manual , the Holy Bible along with the Teacher and Writer of the Scriptures. When the believer operates without consulting or contrary to the prescriptions and proscriptions of the Manual, they are effectively returning the heavenly inner-workings to the Giver. They are saying, in essence, we'll continue in our old way instead of using these new "inner-workings" by which to function. This can range from using old ways of being on one decision to backsliding completely. 

More plainly, the newness that we walk in as believers is only possible as we walk in lock step with heaven - as we follow Christ. The way to do that is by biblical conduct as we walk in the Spirit. God is not expecting us to be perfect in this flesh. But He does expect us to be led by His Spirit and so operate with the heavenly inner-workings He has given us. When we do not, we are constructively engaging in a "return" transaction.

Taking this all as a cohesive message from the Lord in walking out this passage of Scripture, if we do not maintain our newly minted heavenly inner-workings, we have nothing and no way in which to be effective ambassadors for Christ in this ministry of reconciliation. This means, we cannot reconcile the world with our clever eloquence, fine speeches, and charismatic ways. We must follow the biblical, not the worldly, model we once used, to reconcile the world to God. 


CONCLUSION

God's word is simple in so many ways. He simply asks to trust that He is not hiding the ball.  Yet we are encouraged to listen with spiritual ears, open our spiritual eyes, and yield our wills to Him so that He may use the gifts He has given us. We are to do all of this while conducting ourselves in the fruit of the Spirit. After all, if it's His work we are doing, we much do it in His way. When we do this, regardless of the levels of ability we may have, we will hear, ‘"Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’" [Matt. 15:21].

“God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.”   - James Hudson Taylor  

CLOSING PRAYER:

Precious Lord. Thank you for my "inner-workings" from heaven. Thank you for the new me. Lord I will obey your Spirit as He leads me in reading my Manual, Your Word; as He leads me in prayer, in worship, and in following the examples of Jesus, Who constantly submitted to Your will, even to death. Please give me a hefty appetite for ingesting Your Word everyday, making it more important than my daily meals. Help me to treasure my time in Your presence above what I have in the past. Lord, I love you and want to live my life to please You. You are worthy of anything and everything I could ever offer you. The best I have to offer is my life! Take and use it as best You can so that I can hear from You: "Well done good and faithful servant." I pray this all in the holy and blessed name of Jesus. Amen.

Choosing the Path of Most Intensity

I was in the kitchen when it dawned on me that I tend to take the path of most intensity instead of the one of least resistance, as is most common. I sensed the Lord was counseling me to choose joy and peace over dealing with a situation in the most complex way. 

What does it mean to choose the path of most intensity?

Plain and simple, it means walking in the flesh. And while it might not be at all times, it could be in a particular area especially when expecting resistance. It's like gearing up for a battle when all the while God is planning and pointing to a more peaceful and joyful way. Sure the Lord gave me a gift for problem-solving, but the danger, if this gift is not submitted for Him to use in the way He sees fit,  is to default to problem-solving mode. It is the path of most-opportunities-to-be-proud. Something's up so I have to solve it. The arrogance of it! It means that unless the Lord is saying, "I want you to take this on", we have no business taking it on. It's as if we get spiritual amnesia and forget there is a God, Who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are all three Persons of the Godhead, all the help we need when faced with the numerous challenges that life presents. 

I believe that as we mature in Christ our approaches to challenges change, and change they must. For me, several months ago the Lord told me He was going to show me how to have more fun or that He wanted me to have more fun. I don't remember the exact words at the moment, but to Him, more fun was in my immediate future. I translated that into joy. That is why I believe He shared with me what He did today, that I tend to choose the past of most intensity. And to be transparent, that means the path of contention. Why is that? This is no excuse but I do believe if I were a man, I would have needed to be in the armed forces, or an athlete or some high-intensity vocation. But as a woman, yes, you can be fiery if that is how the Lord has made you, but Jesus was gentle as the Scriptures teach us. That is to be my default position. Jesus was also meek, that means He usually restrained His power. I do believe that Jesus may have listened more than He spoke because He was humble and lowly and did not need to be a loud-mouth to establish His identity. He knew Who and Whose He was. We ought to follow His example.

Jesus's modus operandi was simple: He did what He saw the Father do, said what He heard the Father say, and went where the Father led. He did not come to "fix" although He did. He came to follow His Father plan. Jesus was, and still is, the Way the Father accomplishes anything. The Father is the Source of the power and anything needed to carry out His plan. Father (Source), Son (Mode/Way), Holy Spirit (Revealer). Important disclaimer: All Parts of the Godhead has multiple names, these main names are used for illustrative purposes on this particular post.

I heard Robert Morris, senior pastor at Gateway Church is Houston, TX, say something I have never heard before. He said, that Holy Spirit is not His name but His function. He is the Spirit of God. God is His name. Same for the Jesus and the Father. All three Persons are God. Not different expressions or modes but three separate Beings, Who always operate in unity.

What does it mean to choose the path of joy and peace?

To choose the path of joy and peace, as the Holy Spirit counseled me last night, is to humble oneself realizing that we do not have all the answers and let God be God. He is the only One who sees all, knows all, and is all powerful. No other being either inside or outside of the universe can claim such prowess. In addition, the human body is not built to take on every stress and strain and essentially live a life of worry. God says, "Stop it." He says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." [Philippians 4:6-7].

THE ROLES

Those two little verses warns and promises a lot:

Your Part:

- Do not worry about anything
- Pray about all things that cause worry
- Thank God for the many things in your life and are from Him
- Be specific, be authentic, be transparent about what is causing you to worry in telling Him about the problem

God's part:

- Grants you peace that does not make sense
- Will keep you from all harm caused by anxiety and anxious thoughts
- You will maintain a healthy heart (stress over time kills)
- You will maintain you sanity (worry over time drives you mad)

Ok, So it's not at easy as it sounds ...

If you're having a hard time with Phil. 4:6-7, particularly in following God's commands in it, ask Him to grant you to grace to do it and to go through your trial with the peace and joy that only He can give you. There is a reason for the Scripture, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Joy and worry cannot co-exist. Worry weakens while joy strengthens. 

Peace and Joy are parts of the "Fruit of the Spirit"

The fact that peace and joy are parts of the Fruit of the Spirit is an indication that walking in the Spirit of "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control means we are not simultaneously walking in the flesh and giving in to worry. You see, worry is self-idolatry. It means that although I am not built or meant to solve this problem, I have no other alternative but to do it. I means you make yourself god and have no One to depend upon. Worry, means your faith not in operation while worrying. 

Yet, we all do it. Why? This is because as humans, we are still battling the flesh. And just went we have learnt to trust God in a particular area, here comes another reason to worry. What's the key then? Stay in constant connection with God through His Holy Spirit. Now, this does not always have to be hours in prayer. God is always accessible and sometimes 1 minute to turn you heart and mind toward Him will alleviate that tendency and temptation to worry. Our regenerate spirits are already turned toward Him. It's our souls (mind, will, and emotions), that is still being transformed, that needs the extra help. 

So friend, stay in the Word of God. Worship all the them. And I mean really worship. Playing worship songs is nice and can start you on your way but true worship comes from inside of you and often, Holy Spirit will give you your heart unique song to God. He loves to hear those! And of course, as mentioned above, pray, pray, pray. That means, have a conversation with God, of course with the proper protocol and don't forget to listen, too. 

Conclusion

Relinquishing Control

Now, in order to choose joy and peace, it requires a certain degree of letting go, mostly of the control of directing how the issue will play out. We must leave the outcomes to the Lord and simply do our part, our responsibility. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us not to lean on our own understanding but in all of our ways, acknowledge the Lord and He will direct our paths. HE will direct it, not us.

It is also important to remember that relinquishing control to God means that we cannot assign control to another unless God instructs us to do so. He has to be paramount, and as children of the Light, we are never alone and never without the Counsel of our Leader. We can proceed with confidence that relinquishing control means the best outcomes at all times, whether possible or "impossible".

So don't default to the road of intensity and contention, we must follow the Lord and choose His path which will always lead to peace and joy. That's how we stay strong in the battle, whether natural or supernatural. Yes, we are at war, but I am convinced, God gains nothing when we become battle-weary, scraped up, and unwilling to go on. No! We are overcomers because He showed us how when He overcame the world! He warned us that trouble is inevitable. "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." [John 16:33].


We never lose our joy. That's why the Psalmist, Paul, and Peter exhort us to rejoice at all times, especially in our adversity.


Other great Scriptures for your daily diet

Psalm 5:11
But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.

Psalm 9:2
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

1 Peter 1:6                
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

1 Peter 1:8whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

1 John 4:4

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 5:4

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:5

Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 Peter 1:3-12 [The passage in context]

Heavenly Inheritance

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ⁸ whom having not seen^[a] you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
¹⁰ Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us^[b] they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

Rejoice!
Angels can only "inquire" of what we know by experience in Christ! And the prophets of old yearned to know and to live in this dispensation of the Kingdom of God, the age of Christ. Hallelujah!